Shipping:LilBlueShipping
LilBlueShipping is the belief in the romantic relationship between and her . It is seen as Dawn and Piplup's equivalent of PikaShipping. The name of the Ship is most likely derived from the fact that Piplup is blue and Dawn has blue hair. As Piplup was Dawn's first Pokémon, many fans believe they have a deeper relationship than what meets the eye. Evidence Dawn's hints *Piplup seems to be the only one of Dawn's Pokémon to stay out of his Poké Ball regularly. Some fans find this as Dawn's obvious preference for Piplup over her other Pokémon. Following a Maiden's Voyage! :* Despite never meeting Piplup, Dawn offers to find him after he escapes from Professor Rowan's lab. One she finds him, she does her best to try and make friends with him. Later on, they are attacked by a group of , and she risks her own life in order to save him. In the end, she chooses Piplup as her starter Pokémon. Getting the Pre-Contest Titters :* Dawn called Piplup "sweetie". Journey to the Unown :* When she jumps into the Solaceon Ruins to save Piplup and she calls out to both of them, mentioning Piplup first. A Lean Mean Team Rocket Machine! :* Dawn is deeply concerned when Piplup collapses from exhaustion, and she watches over him throughout the episode. :* Dawn blamed herself for not understanding she'd been working Piplup too hard and cried as she said she doesn't deserve him as her partner, but Piplup was able to calm her back down, and she picked him up and hugged him. :* After Piplup fell asleep in her arms, Dawn put him back in his bed and smiled at him before she left the room. Stopped in the Name of Love! :* Once again, Dawn saves Piplup from a group of Ariados. She also apologizes to him for not understanding his feelings about evolving, and supports his decision not to. Gone With the Windworks! :* When Piplup and her new begin fighting again, Dawn returns Cyndaquil to its Poké Ball rather than Piplup. Memories are Made of Bliss :* When Piplup bursts into tears and begins yelling at everyone Dawn asks him what's wrong. :* When Piplup is getting ready to use Whirlpool on everyone, Dawn tried to get him to stop. :* When the group found Piplup, Dawn told him everyone was feeling sad about going their separate ways. :* When Piplup was about to cry again, Dawn hugged him and told him "You're a big boy." in a sweet, caring, and gentle voice. Piplup's hints *Notably, Piplup always goes out of his way in order to impress Dawn, and to prove his superiority over the other Pokémon. *Piplup was able to win Dawn's first two Ribbons when he was used in the final rounds of those Contests. Following a Maiden's Voyage! :* After Piplup sees that Dawn is willing to put herself in danger in order to protect him, he fights in order to protect her. Later, at Professor Rowan's lab, he is thrilled to be chosen as Dawn's starter Pokémon. Like It or Lup It! :* Piplup tries his hardest to prove to Dawn that it can be the perfect Contest Pokémon. Staging a Heroes Welcome! :* Piplup was able to help Dawn get over her nervousness by firing a at her. Stopped in the Name of Love! :* In the original version of this episode, it was stated that Piplup did not want to evolve into a because he was afraid of becoming disobedient towards Dawn like did after its evolution. Other fans note that the English dub title serves as a hint of romance. Gone With the Windworks! :* Piplup became jealous when Dawn was paying more attention to her newly hatched than himself. Thus, he started to fight with Cyndaquil. Dressed for Jess Success! :* Piplup was shocked to see Dawn hugging her Cyndaquil. Piplup, Up and Away! :*Throughout this episode, Piplup kept having fantasies of Dawn being extra loving towards him and her scolding for hitting Piplup with his . When Piplup sees that Dawn is taking Gible's side, he gets upset and runs away.